Sinful Pleasures
by zombie kait
Summary: Set back around Medieval times, five very different girls and five very different guys meet up. Love is in the air...or is that hatred?
1. Darkness

Hey-o! ^^ I know I should be working on my other stories, but this idea came to me when I was doing my algebra homework and well yeah! I do have a plot for this and it's really good too! Or so I think. ^_^ This is a AU ficcie, which is very obvious when you read it. Also, Rei is going to be a bit out of character at first, but then she'll begin to act like her usual self later on.  
  
Serena - 15  
Ami, Mina, Rei - 16  
Makoto, Duo, Wufei, Heero, Quatre - 17  
Trowa - 19  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
*Rei POV*  
  
Mother says I will make a fine lady someday. I then reply by saying, "But what if I don't want to be a lady?" Father is both a lord and a knight; being the latter I admire him very much. Living at the manor would be relaxing, if Mother didn't chase me around saying that I should act like a lady. It's annoying how she pesters me about my needlework. Sometimes when I stab myself with that stupid needle, my tongue slips and I let out one of the curses I've heard so many times from the knights. The first time I did that, Mother fainted in shock.  
  
I can hear her calling my name right now. "Rei Hino! Come out now! You can't hide forever!" Or so she thinks...  
  
*Normal POV*  
  
Rei opened her window and tied the end of the bed sheet to one of the posts on her bed. Slinging her pack on over her shoulder, she tossed the rest of the bed sheet out of the window. Grabbing part of it in one hand, she wrapped her right leg around it, before grabbing it with her other hand. Hopping out the window, she slowly crawled down the side of the house.  
  
"Rei, you're running away again?" Duo asked from below her.  
  
"Again?! I'm really leaving this time!" Rei yelled as she let go of the bed sheet. She was caught by Duo, her childhood friend.  
  
"That is what you said the last three times." He set her down and followed behind her as she headed into the stables. "We both known that Lord Hino will send me out to come get you, and I'll find you like always, and then take you back home." She handed him her bag, while she took her black mare, Falme, out of her stables; and began getting her ready for travel.  
  
"I will get far away and you won't be able to find me at all." She stated as he helped her up into the saddle. Duo nodded to a page who disappeared and came back a moment later with a bow and a quiver full of arrows. The page handed them to Rei, who had pulled down the hood of her cloak, so it covered most of her face.  
  
Duo began to lead her horse out of the stable, while Rei chattered on about how he wouldn't catch her this time. It took her a moment to realize that the sun was setting and that lights were coming on in the houses. As her voice trailed off, a grin appeared on his face. "Still scared of the dark, Rei?"  
  
"No! Of course not! Only children are scared of the dark." She crossed her arms and glared at the back of his head. Minutes passed in silence, before Duo found himself being strangled to death from her hug. "Duo please come with me!" She wailed, tightening her grip around his neck.  
  
"Fine. Fine!" He growled as he pried her arms off of his neck. The page who had been watching them, ran off to get Duo's horse, and came back a minute later with the saddled horse ready to go. Duo pressed a few gold coins into the boy's hand, before getting up on his horse. "Speak of this to no one. You were in the stable with the horses, if anyone asks." Duo and Rei left, with the boy closing the gate behind them.  
  
~*~  
  
Wufei growled as he and Trowa entered another inn. Wufei looked around as Trowa talked to the innkeeper. The two of them had been searching for weeks for the thief Minako Aino. The king, a cold hearted man, had ordered that the two of them hunt her down, and catch her, so she could be publicly hanged. Trowa and him had chased her all over the palace, before she fled town. She was also suspected of sorcery. In one small town they almost had her, before she just disappeared, leaving no trace. They were now in Cifton, which was around a hundred miles from the castle. Rumors of a golden haired thief had brought them there.  
  
"Upstairs." Trowa's quiet voice brought Wufei out of his thoughts, and he looked at his friend surprised.  
  
"Are you sure?" Wufei's voice was cold like usual. Trowa nodded, and the two of them went upstairs, Trowa leading the way up to the room. As they stopped in front of the room, they were both surprised to hear three voices coming from inside; two female and one male. Trowa stepped out of the way as Wufei kicked open the door. What they saw inside surprised them both.  
  
A girl with short blue hair was applying ointments to a deep gash on the blonde's shoulder. On the blonde's other shoulder, sat a white cat. After a moment of both parties staring at each other, the blonde screamed and threw the water basin at Wufei. As both Wufei and Trowa dodged the basin, the blonde had pulled down her shirt and was yelling at the blue haired girl and the cat.  
  
"The two of you get out of here now!" A dagger appeared in-between her fingers, before it sailed through the air at Wufei. Glancing over her shoulder, Mina watched Ami and Artemis go out the window, before she turned back to the two guys. Another knife appeared in her hand, before she threw it at the brown haired solider.  
  
"Baka onna!" Wufei growled as he pulled out his katana. Wufei charged at the girl, and was a bit surprised to see her dodge his sword so easily. After dodging another of his attacks, she kicked his hand holding the sword, and did a back flip, throwing more daggers at the two of them, before jumping out the window. Wufei was busy blocking the daggers, but Trowa quickly went out the window after the blonde.  
  
Mina slid down the steep roof and managed to stop near the edge, where she stood up, and ran, trying to avoid whoever was behind her. Yet, she wasn't quick enough. As she ran up one side of the roof, and was about to go down, something hit her from behind, and she stumbled, falling forward. A hand from behind her reached out and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. Turning slightly, she saw the guy with brown hair holding her.  
  
"Let go of me!" She flailed about for a bit, but it was no good.  
  
"Give up, we already have your friend." Trowa said in the same quiet voice, nodding to something below her. Mina looked, and sure enough, the other boy was on the ground, holding onto Ami's arm with one hand, and holding Artemis upside down by the tail in the other.  
  
"Oi.."  
  
~*~  
  
The cool sea breeze smelled liked its usual salty self, and Serena smiled happily. It was a perfect day outside, warm but not too hot, white fluffy clouds were high in the sky, and a cool breeze. Yup, it was the perfect day alright. The perfect day to rob someone of course. A grin appeared on her face, and she hopped off of her ship and onto the dock. Her crew was currently loading new cargo onto the boat, which she had acquired earlier that day.  
  
"Permission to speak, Captain." A rough looking well muscled man asked, looking down at her. She looked up at him and smiled, her light blue eyes twinkling happily.  
  
"Permission granted." He fell into step next to her as the two of them walked up the plank and off of the docks, entering the large town.  
  
"The crew will finish loading the cargo onto the ship in under an hour. There is enough food and fresh water on the ship to last for months; and the polls for the new ship name are closed. It seems that Shinigami is the most popular. The scouts-" The way Serena was looking around at all the different shops, it seemed that she hadn't paid attention to him at all.  
  
"Shinigami...The God of Death. Hm..I like it. Have the name of the boat changed by the end of the day. We'll spend the night here and we'll leave at sunrise tomorrow. Now about the scouts?" She paid a woman for some fruit, and began to eat an apple as the two continued down the street. People moved out of their way as they walked, and that only caused Serena to smirk. They knew who she was, the Angel of Mercy. She stole from the rich, gave to the poor, beat the crap outta thugs, and a bunch of other things.  
  
Just by looking at what she wore, you could tell who she was. All women wore dresses or skirts, for they would never be caught dead wearing pants. She of course, didn't put up with such useless things as dresses and skirts. Who was she trying to impress? She wore black baggy trousers rested on her hips, and flared out as they went down, before closing off at the ankles. A white shirt hung about her loosely, and a black vest was over that. Thin brown sandals were worn, with brown straps tying about at her ankles. Her long blonde hair was up in a ponytail, except for two strands that hung down in front.  
  
She stopped and watched as a bunch of boys ran around in front of her, pretending to be knights and attacking each other with sticks. Lifting a new apple to her mouth, she was about to take a bite, when suddenly an arrow appeared in it, splattering juice on her face. Turning, she looked up at a rooftop to see the famous bounty hunter Heero Yuy. He was already getting ready to draw another arrow, but she just shook her head and sighed.  
  
"It seems we must be going now. I'll pay Mr. Winner a quick visit. Go back to the ship and get ready to set sail, I'll be back in a bit, and when I do come back, we'll leave. It seems we'll have to put a new name on the ship in the next town." Getting a better grip on her bag of apples, she sped off down the street, knowing that Heero Yuy was probably following close behind her.  
  
Turning down an alley, she jumped over a few carts before turning again at the end of the alley and back onto a main street. Her eyes briefly flickered upward, and she could see Heero. Another arrow appeared just in front of her, and she stumbled slightly, cursing herself as she began to run even faster.  
  
"Heero Yuy, you know how this chase will end, it always ends the same way." She called up at him, a smile appearing on her face. He has chased her all over this town so many times, that it had become a game to her. People were pressing themselves up against buildings just so as not to get in her way. They were used to this, whenever she came into town, there'd always be a chase between the two of them.  
  
"Hn." The word drifted down to her, and she laughed. Turning again, she hit something slippery, and she slid along the ground a bit before finally coming to a stop in front of a very familiar manor. Jumping over the small fence, she dodged the soldiers that were outside and jumped through an open window. As she got inside, she ran down the hallway and straight to the one room she knew her victim would be. Kicking open the door, she stood there in shock to see Heero standing next to Quatre.  
  
"I'm sorry to do this Miss, but you must be punished for your crimes." Quatre said. Before she knew what was happening, the door banged closed behind her, and everything went black.  
  
~*~  
  
Makoto hummed to herself as she walked along the busy streets of North Shore. It was a sea town, which was constantly attacked by pirates. Well, the rich people were attacked. And it was only one group of pirates that attacked the town. Their leader was the Angel of Mercy, Serena Tsukino. She had only seen her once, and when she had, she knew the rumors about her were wrong.  
  
The town itself was run by Quatre Winner. He was the youngest in the Winner line, and also the only male. Twenty-nine older sisters, or so the rumors went. Shaking her head, she stopped in front of the Winner manor. It was a fairly large place, which was constantly being guarded. It always seemed peaceful whenever she passed the place, yet for some reason, something didn't seem right.  
  
Moments later, a brown haired boy came out carrying a blonde girl over his shoulder who was yelling curses at him. A blonde haired boy followed after him, wincing every now and then when the girl raised her voice. It took her a moment to realize that the girl was none other then Serena herself. Forgetting about the guards, she opened the gate and entered. The two didn't seem to notice her until she was standing right in front of them.  
  
"Ah..um..can I help you Miss?" Quatre asked.  
  
"What are you doing with Serena Tsukino?! I demand that you put her down this instance!" Makoto yelled at the two of them. This obviously surprised Serena, because she had never met the girl before. And what was with the girl in the first place? She was ordering around the famous Quatre Winner and the even more famous bounty hunter Heero Yuy, as if she was a princess or something.  
  
"Hn." Heero ignored the girl and tried to push past her, and was surprised to see her move to be standing directly in front of him. "Get out of my way." He growled, not caring if she was a woman or not.  
  
"Release her and then I'll move." Makoto said, planting her fists on her hips.  
  
"Ah..Miss...she's being arrested for her crimes." Quatre said quietly as he looked at her.  
  
"And I said release her!" Makoto stamped her foot on the ground, her temper and annoyance obviously starting to show.  
  
"And if I don't?" Heero arched a brow as he looked at the woman in front of him. She was dressed in a long dark blue dress that went down to her ankles, where brown leather shoes peeked out from under her dress. She held a book of sorts in her hand, and her hair was down with curls at the end.  
  
"Then God shall punish you!" She declared, not noticing the strange looks the three were giving her.  
  
"Ah..God?" Quatre was starting to wonder if she was sane in the mind.  
  
"Yes God! Now you have till I count to three to release her, or else you will be punished!" She stood there, a smile on her face. Serena just stared at her, wondering is she had a multiple personality disorder.  
  
"Get out of my way." Heero didn't have time for this, he had much better things to do.  
  
"1..."  
  
"Miss, will you please move?" Quatre was getting a bit annoyed with the woman.  
  
"2..."  
  
"I said get out of my WAY!" Heero tried to push past her, but it was to no use.  
  
"3!" With that, Makoto raised the book in her hand, which had the words The Holy Bible written in gold on the cover, and brought it down on Heero's head. This of course surprised Heero, and his grip on Serena loosened. Serena, feeling his grip on her loosen; she kneed him in the chest before grabbing his waist with her hands, and kicking her legs over his shoulder. Landing on her knees, she did a sweep kick, knocking him off his feet.  
  
"Come on!" Serena grabbed the girl, who was standing there as if surprised at her own actions. The two girls jumped over the gate and Makoto followed Serena down to the docks where Shinigami was waiting.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Ah, quite a long first chapter, ne? ^^ It's around six pages long, and I have to say I'm pretty damn proud of it. Makoto isn't going to be all that tall in this fic, she's going to be two inches taller then Serena, who as everyone knows, is somewhat short. Lots of reviews will make me really really happy. ^_^ 


	2. Pirates

Hey-o! I'm glad everyone liked Makoto's part as much as I did.

lost little angel - I use some Japanese names and some English ones, because I like some better then others. I use Serena instead of Usagi because I like her American name much better. Also, I use Mina instead of Minako because it's sort of a nickname for her in a way, and I find it much prettier as Mina.

Chibi Chibi GW - Yes Quatre was Serena's victim, and what she meant by saying victim, was that he was her target. Remember how she's a pirate? Pirates steal from the rich and well...yeah. As to why she knows where his manor is, you'll just have to wait and find out, cause I do explain it towards the end of the chapter.

Sadie Joyce - Myst Lady - They're all going to be in the spotlight every now and then, because the story is about all of them, not just one person, so don't worry about Serena being in the spotlight the whole story.

Everyone - I have a few couples in mind, but I'm not sure about some of them, so I guess you will all just have to wait and see what happens.

**XoxoX**

"Duo I'm tired!" Rei groaned as she slumped forward on Falme.

"We'll stop at dusk." Duo replied as they continued down the forest path. "There's a small cave near a waterfall and we'll stay there for the night. If I am correct, we're pretty close." The continued on in silence for a bit before Rei reined Falme to a stop. Climbing down, she stretched for a bit before she grabbed the reigns and began walking.

"What are you doing? You complain about how slow we're going, and then you get off your horse so you can walk." Duo grumbled, but Rei just ignored him.

"I thought knights didn't complain." Rei looked at him over her horse and smiled sweetly.

"Who said I was complaining?" Duo shot back, becoming annoyed with her.

"There it is!" Rei exclaimed, pointing ahead. The forest around them separated and showed a large waterfall that connected to a river. Off to their left, there was a cave in part of the cliff. The two led their horses over to the cave and began to unpack for the night.

"I'll get dinner ready while you go bathe." Duo was lighting the fire as Rei grabbed a change of clothes.

"Are you saying that I smell?!" Rei demanded as she followed him out of the cave and to the river. Duo just ignored her as he washed out a bowl. Rei was about to kick him into the river when the two of them heard voices. Looking around for whoever was talking, they couldn't see anyone. Suddenly, a screamed filled the air.

**xoxox**

Mina was on the verge of tears. "I haven't bathed in days! I smell horrible!" She whined to her friend as she stumbled over a tree root.

"We'll probably bathe at the next town." Ami said quietly, trying to soothe her friend.

"My whole body aches!" Mina went on as she walked next to Ami.

"You shouldn't have tried to escape." Artemis, who was sitting on her shoulder, whispered in her ear.

"Mr. Wufei, will you please unbind my wrists so I can heal some of the cuts on Mina?" Ami asked as she turned her head to look at him. He just grunted at her and she turned back to face Mina, who had suddenly stopped walking.

"Move onna." Wufei growled, annoyed at the fact that he almost ran into her.

"There's a river in front of me, shonen. And if you haven't noticed, I can't walk on water." Wufei looked, and sure enough there was a river, which ended a few paces away where the waterfall began. Yet there was also a large log that went from one end of the bank to the other.

"Go across the log." He pushed her forward, and was surprised to see her not move.

"Cross that log? You have to be out of your mind! Oh sure, I'm going to walk across an unsteady log, which just happens to be over a river, which ends in a waterfall! Sure, me being in my right mind, I'm going to walk across that log!" During the whole time, she had been climbing up Trowa, and was currently sitting on his shoulders and clinging to his head for dear life.

"What is wrong with you?!" Wufei demanded, the small amount of patience he had gone.

"She's scared of heights." Ami replied quietly from beside him.

"Afraid of heights?! She's a bloody thief!" Wufei spat.

"I'm not afraid of heights." Mina mumbled, blushing bright red.

"I'll take her across." Trowa began to walk across the log, with Mina yelling about how she hated heights. "Don't move." Of course she just happened to move at hearing this. She paled suddenly as he lost his balance. Screaming her head off, the two fell into the cold river. Seconds later, they were both victims of the massive waterfall.

**xoxox**

"This ship is huge!" Makoto exclaimed as she ran across the deck to Serena. The town was finally becoming smaller, yet they weren't out of danger yet. The Wavedancer, a ship owned by Quatre was currently chasing them. Serena just grinned at Makoto her new friend, before yelling out orders to the crew. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Makoto wanted to help, seeing as she caused part of the mess they were in.

"Pray to God that Shinigami gets us the hell outta here." Serena was currently lying down on the deck and looking over different maps with a guy that had at least four earrings in each ear. Nodding, Makoto made her way to the middle of the ship and kneeled down. Clasping her hands together, she closed her eyes and hummed softly to herself to help clear her mind of thoughts, along with block out the noise around her.

Before she could even begin, something landed near her foot, making a dull thunking noise. Opening her eyes, she looked to see what it was, and jumped back to find an arrow embedded in the planks. "We're under attack!" A short skinny guy was running up and down the boat, yelling the same thing over and over. "Everyone prepare yourselves for battle!" As Makoto stood up, the Wavedancer rammed into Shinigami. Losing her balance, she fell back down, muttering a curse as she landed hard on her arm.

A passing guy looked at her a bit shocked and she blushed at remembering what she said. Men were running up and down the deck getting ready for battle, while others dropped anchor. Makoto stood there wondering what to do, when something whizzed past her ear. Looking around, she spotted Heero on the deck of Wavedancer, already knocking another arrow.

"Stay back!" Serena ran in front of Makoto, with two curved swords hanging on each hip; along with a bow in her hand and a quiver full of arrows on her back. Another arrow flew towards them, which Serena snatched out of the air before knocking it and letting go. As the two ships lined up next to each other, Serena tossed Makoto the boy and quiver before grabbing the two swords from her hips.

"What am I supposed to do?" Makoto had put her book in a pocket inside her dress, and was currently holding the bow in one hand, and slinging the full quiver of arrows over her shoulder.

"Stay close to me and watch my back." Serena grinned. Planks connected the two boats and Serena along with her crew were prepared to cross over them onto the Wavedancer. Everyone was waiting for Serena to move. "On my mark, I want you to begin firing at Heero. Keep doing so until you run out of arrows. I myself am going to have a nice chat with Quatre."

Heero had an arrow knocked and pointed at Serena, who was watching Quatre. Makoto was praying as she aimed an arrow at Heero, and Quatre stood there holding the same curved swords that Serena had. Suddenly Serena began to run towards the plank that connected the two boats. As her foot touched the plank, she launched herself into the air, twirling like a professional acrobat.

Heero released the knocked arrow, sending it straight at Serena, who managed to turn just right and miss the arrow. Serena landed on a guy's shoulders, and jumped off, landing in front of Quatre. Makoto released the arrow she had, and began to slowly inch her way towards the plank. Most of Shinigami's crew was already on Wavedancer, fighting.

Makoto looked down at the water and then at the plank connecting the two boats. Stepping onto it, a breeze came and caused the plank to shift. Closing her eyes, she screamed as she ran across the plank, and instantly clung to the first thing she ran into; which happened to be Heero. Opening her eyes, she stared up into Heero's Prussian blue eyes.

"H-Heero!" Makoto jumped away from him, a faint blush on her cheeks. As she fumbled for an arrow, he pulled out his sword and charged towards her. Screaming again, she picked up her skirts over her knees and ran like hell away from him. He of course found this amusing and chased her down the deck. "Seeeerrrreeeeennnnaaaaaaa!!!" Makoto yelled as she tried to find her blonde friend.

Serena jumped back as Quatre's sword sliced the air where she had been previously standing. At hearing her name called, she looked up to see Makoto running away from Heero. "Over here Makoto!" The brown haired girl followed the voice to where Serena was fighting Quatre. "Switch!" Serena ducked under one of Quatre's attacks, before doing a backhand spring and landing in front of Heero. Heero swung his sword and which was blocked by Serena's curved one.

Makoto was trying to block off Quatre with the bow, which wasn't much help. Makoto was becoming annoyed at how she was hot and dirty, and also by the fact that she was tired. She slowly advanced on Quatre, bow raised over her head. "Be gone demon!" With that, she brought the bow crashing down on Quatre's head. Quatre's knees buckled and he fell to the ground unconscious. Makoto grinned and turned giving Serena a peace sign, when her eyes widened at seeing Serena pinned to the ground under Heero.

"Fine, you win." Serena growled as she glared up at him.

**xoxox**

Quatre woke up to find himself on the captain's bed of the Wavedancer. His head ached terribly and it hurt even worse as he sat up. Looking out the window, the sky was dark and the pale moonlight shone into the room. Swinging his feet over the side of the bed, he got up and made his way out onto the deck. Heero was guarding Serena and the brown haired girl from earlier. The two girls were tied back-to-back and sitting in front of him.

"Where are we going?" Quatre asked as he walked over to Heero.

"To the castle so I can collect the bounty for her." He nudged Serena with his foot, who just grunted. Quatre looked at Serena and sighed. Kneeling down in front of her, he tried to look into her eyes, yet she turned her head away.

"After Heero collects the bounty on you, I'm going to get you out of jail. It's time for you to grow up and act like a true Winner." The brown hair girl turned to face him, eyes wide with surprise.

"She's your sister? But you look so much older then her!" She tried to look at Serena, but ended up just seeing some of her golden locks.

"She's my one and only little sister." Quatre stood up and brushed the dust off of his knees.

"But I thought you had twenty-nine older sisters?" She asked, obviously confused.

"My father had an affair with a dancer at a local tavern, and well he got her pregnant. Her mother died when she was eight, and she came to live with us." Quatre stretched his arms over his head and yawned before turning to look at Heero. "How much longer till we reach the castle?" Heero looked at the stars for a moment before looking down at the water.

"At the rate that we're currently going, we'll reach Dark Hill tomorrow at noon, and then after that we'll probably spend two or three days after that passing Sweegy Woods, and if the weather is good, then we'll reach the castle a day and a half after that." Quatre nodded.

"Before you go to bed, have these two put into the small room next to the kitchen with a few guards outside the door." Heero grunted and Quatre turned to face the two girls. Looking at the brown haired one, he felt a bit embarrassment at not knowing her name. "Ah Miss, may I ask your name?"

"Makoto Kino." She smiled at him and he smiled back before going back to his cabin.

**XoxoX**

I know that this chapter was somewhat shorter then the first, but I had to end it like that or else I'd start to give away things that I didn't want to until next chapter. If you review then I promise I'll make the next chapter a lot longer and I may even hint at some couples!


	3. Meetings

Wow, I haven't updated this story in a long time. I was a bit disappointed about how many reviews I got for the last chapter, so I put a lot of time and effort into this chapter. It's longer then the first two chapters and I'm hoping that I'll get a lot more reviews for this chapter. Enjoy!  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Duo! Look!" Rei grabbed his arm and pointed towards the base of the waterfall where a boy was swimming towards the shore with a girl hanging onto his back. The two of them quickly went over and helped pull the two of them out of the cold river. Rei helped the girl sit up, and patted her on the back as she coughed up some water. "Are you alright?" Rei asked in a concern voice as she helped the girl stand up. The girl nodded weakly, but before she could say anymore, the boy stood up.  
  
"We should get going." He said in a calm voice, acting as if they hadn't just gone over a waterfall.  
  
"You're joking, right?" Duo asked as he looked at the two soaking wet figures.  
  
"You must stay, at least until you dry off." Rei insisted as she wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulders.  
  
"Please Trowa?" Mina asked as she brushed wet locks of hair out of her eyes.  
  
"...Fine. I'll get the others." Trowa turned and disappeared into the woods, leaving the three of them alone.  
  
"I have some spare clothes that you can borrow until yours are dry." Rei smiled as she led the girl into the cave. Minutes later, as Duo started the fire, Trowa returned with two other people and a cat. By that time, Mina and Rei came back out of the cave, clothes along with a few other things in hand.  
  
"Ami-chan, wanna come bathe with us?" Mina asked with a smile on her face.  
  
"Sure." Ami smiled a bit unsure as she looked at the two strangers. Rei watched her fidget, and she smiled as she stepped forward to shake her hand.  
  
"My name's Rei Hino, and that", she jerked a thumb towards Duo, "is Duo Maxwell."  
  
"Nice to meet ya babe." Duo grinned as he watched her blush.  
  
"As I was saying, we're going to go downstream a bit to bathe. Duo, if you even so much as think about looking, I'll cut that braid of yours off." Rei smile sweetly at him before leading the laughing girls off downstream.  
  
"Threatened by a weak onna." Wufei snorted as he glanced at Duo.  
  
"And what might your name be?" Duo asked, as he looked at him.  
  
"Chang Wufei." Wufei sat down on the ground and began warming his hands on the fire.  
  
"So where are you guys headed?" Duo asked, curiosity getting the better of him.  
  
"That's none of your business." Wufei snapped, causing Duo's curiosity to rise.  
  
The three sat in silence around the fire, Duo wondering about where they were going, and the two wondering when the girls would come back. They stayed that way for another twenty minutes before the girls finally returned. Mina was complaining about her tight shirt, which was starting to annoy Rei, and Ami decided to keep quiet about her pants being a bit too big.  
  
"Duo, you haven't started making the food yet?" Rei asked as she brushed out her long raven colored hair.  
  
"Uh...no?" Duo smiled impishly as he watched her.  
  
"It's really hard to believe you're a knight." Rei growled as she stormed back into the cave to get the food for dinner. Rei along with Mina and Ami prepared dinner, while the three guys, sat a bit away from them, talking. Well, it was more like Duo talking and Trowa listening, and Wufei praying that the braided baka would shut up.  
  
"So where are you guys going?" Rei asked as she stirred something in a bowl.  
  
"To the palace where the king lives!" Mina said with mock excitement.  
  
"Really?" Rei stopped what she was doing and turned to face the girl.  
  
"Sadly yes." Ami was putting the food on the separate plates along with getting drinks.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Rei inquired as she glanced back and forth at the two girls.  
  
"No." Mina smiled, trying to reassure Rei.  
  
"Is the food ready? I'm hungry!" Duo whined as he held his stomach.  
  
"Braided baka." Wufei and Rei growled at the same time. The two looked at each other a bit surprised before turning and going back to what they were doing.  
  
"Let's eat!" Mina grinned as she, Ami, and Rei gave the boys their dinner.  
  
~*~  
  
"Man, this sucks!" Serena complained as she stared at the ceiling of the cabin.  
  
"Couldn't we somehow escape?" Makoto asked hopefully as she watched the girl.  
  
"Somehow? We could if we weren't being watched all the time." Serena growled in disgust.  
  
"What about your crew and Shinigami?" Makoto stood up and stretched her sore limbs before going over to the window and looking out.  
  
"Half captured." Serena snorted, causing Makoto to look at her a bit surprised. "The rest are either being eaten alive by sharks in the ocean, or they're with Shinigami and following us." Smiling at the thought, she sat up on her bed and turned to watch her friend.  
  
"If you're a Winner, then why are you a pirate?" Makoto questioned curiously. Serena stared at her for a few minutes before lying back down on the small bed.  
  
"Long story. But, the main reason was because I didn't fit in at all. I met my crew one day at the decks. Their old captain had thrown them off the ship because he was a greedy bastard and wanted all the treasure for himself. It sickens me how people are so greedy anymore. The rich don't care about the poor, and well..." Serena trailed off for a few moments before continuing on. "I killed their captain, gave them the treasure, and the rest is history."  
  
"And what about Heero?" Makoto tilted her head to the side and was studying Serena.  
  
"He's a bounty hunter, I'm a pirate with a bounty on my head. Get it?" Serena grinned at her friend who smiled back.  
  
"Yeah, it all makes sense now." Makoto nodded to herself as she thought about the past events.  
  
"Anyways, it's getting late, we better get some sleep." Serena said as she helped Makoto pull down the spare bed from the wall across from her bed.  
  
"Good night Sere-chan."  
  
"Good night Mako."  
  
*A few days later*  
  
"If I'm stuck in this cabin any longer I'll go crazy!" Serena growled as she kicked the door.  
  
"I think...yes! I see the palace!" Makoto, who was looking out the window, moved over so Serena could look.  
  
"Thank god! I was ready to break outta here and make a run for it." Plopping down on her bed, she motioned for Makoto to sit next to her. "Now, after we dock, you'll probably be left on the ship with some of the crew. Shinigami..." She pushed the window open and stuck her head out, looking behind the ship. "Shinigami is pretty far back, but you'll have enough time." Pulling her head in, she closed the window.  
  
"Enough time for what?" Makoto asked in obvious confusion.  
  
"To free my crew of course!" Serena grinned.  
  
"Oh..." Makoto paled at the idea of getting into more trouble.  
  
"You will help me, won't you?" Serena asked, giving her puppy dog eyes.  
  
"Of course! That's what friends do of course!" Makoto laughed a bit nervously while scratching the back of her head.  
  
"Great! The crew should be up on deck or in the cells below. The key to the cells is usually on a peg by the stairs. Now, to get to the cells, you need to go up on deck, and..." She trailed off as she heard a key being entered in the door. "Go straight across to the set of stairs next to the captain's cabin. It might be guarded, it might not, but if it is, I know you can handle them. Get the crew freed and then come in town and meet me by the palace gates, after that you'll need to show me where.." The door opened and Heero stood there, glaring at her. "Where the flowers are." Serena winked at Makoto before being led away by Heero.  
  
"Oh Sere-chan." Makoto sat back down on the bed, waiting for the footsteps to fade.  
  
~*~  
  
"Wow, the palace is breath taking!" Rei said in awe as she stared up at it.  
  
"Yeah, really breath taking." Mina said in a sarcastic voice.  
  
"Mina." Ami placed her hand on her friend's arm, yet Mina just jerked her arm away from Ami. As they six of them entered the palace court, Ami brought her mare closer to Mina's.  
  
"Ami, unlike you, I'm being sent here to hang!" Mina scowled darkly at a knight who looked at her. As soon as the group had dismounted, soldiers came running and shoved past Rei and Ami to grab Mina.  
  
"What's going on?" Rei asked in confusion as she watched the soldiers. "What are they doing?"  
  
"Hey! Watch what you're grabbing!" Mina snapped as she shoved one of the knights.  
  
"Well well well, if it isn't my old friend Minako Aino." Mina's eyes narrowed to slits as she glared past the soldiers at the princess who was walking towards them.  
  
"Princess." Wufei and Trowa kneeled down respectively before her, along with Duo who pulled Rei and Ami down with him.  
  
"Relena." Mina growled as she continued to glare at the girl in front of her.  
  
"I'm so glad you decided to visit." Relena laughed at the joke, though no one else did.  
  
"Trust me, this is the last place I'd like to be." Mina smiled, though it turned out to be more of a snarl.  
  
"Do I need to remind you who's royalty and who isn't?" Relena asked with a smirk.  
  
"Do I need to remind you who hung whom upside down by the ankles?" Mina grinned as she watched the girl's face turn red in anger and embarrassment.  
  
"Take her to a cell where she'll wait until this afternoon." Relena's eyes drifted over Mina's shoulder to where Quatre, Heero, and Serena were dismounting. "I have more important matters to attend to." Mina glanced over her shoulder, and laughed as she turned back to see Relena straighten her dress.  
  
"You're still in love with Heero?" Mina laughter was cut short as Relena slapped her.  
  
"It's a good thing you'll no longer be a problem." With that said, she glided past Mina without a backwards glance at her. The soldiers dragged the not-so-happy Mina away and into the palace before anyone could do anything about it.  
  
"Why are they taking her?" Rei asked as she stood up and brushed the dirt off her pants.  
  
"She's a theif." Ami said quietly as she picked up the sleeping white cat off of her horse.  
  
"What?!" Rei yelled in shock, causing a few nobles to turn and look at her.  
  
"You're joking, right?" Duo asked as he turned to face Ami.  
  
"That onna has been a pain in the ass." Wufei growled.  
  
"Oh shut up!" Rei glared at Wufei who just glared back.  
  
"What's going to happen to her?" Duo questioned, his voice full of concern. Ami looked away, not wanting to answer.  
  
"They're going to hang her." Trowa said as he watched Rei's face turn white.  
  
"Hang a...a woman?" Rei asked in disbelief.  
  
"Of course, she's a thief! What do you expect?" Wufei snorted as if it was quite obvious.  
  
~*~  
  
"Master Winner, Master Yuy, what a pleasure it is to have you here." Relena said in a happy voice.  
  
"Princess, it's good to see you again." Quatre replied as she smiled warmly at her.  
  
"Hn." Heero glared at her, yet she seemed unfazed by it.  
  
"Ah, so you're the Princess. What a pleasure it is to meet you." Serena said in a mocking tone as she watched the girl. Relena turned to look at Serena, the smile seeming strained all of a sudden.  
  
"And you are the famous pirate that everyone calls the Angel of Mercy. You look like anything but an angel." Relena laughed as she watched Serena try to jump her, but was restrained by Heero. "You should learn your place." Relena said coolly as she watched Serena struggle to attack her.  
  
"And you should learn some manners." Serena snarled.  
  
"Serena, stop it." Quatre glared at his sister before turning back to face Relena.  
  
"Please forgive her, Princess." Quatre smiled at Relena, who nodded, not even looking at him.  
  
"Now, you came for the bounty on her head, did you not, Master Yuy?" Relena asked as she walked towards him.  
  
"Hn." Heero's glare intensified, stopping her in her tracks. Serena, noticing this, snickered, but quickly started coughing as soon as Relena looked at her.  
  
"I'm here to pay for her release." Quatre said politely as he watched Relena and Serena stare at each other.  
  
"Yes yes, follow me." She turned quickly and led them into the palace. Relena led them down one hallway after another until they came to a room. Opening the door, Relena went across to the desk where scrolls and papers covered the desk. Shuffling through the papers, she picked one up and turned to face them. "Fifteen thousand zeny reward, fifty thousand zeny bail." Nodding to the servants in the corners, they appeared in front Heero and Quatre. The one in front of Heero handed him a bundle of paper (zeny), and Quatre pulled out a few zeny before handing them to the servant in front of him.  
  
A bell began to ring loudly throughout the palace, and Serena began to wonder what it was for. Before she could open her mouth to ask her question, she noticed the smile appearing on Relena's face. Relena waved away the servants and began to usher the three of them out of the room.  
  
"I don't mean to be rude, but I have an...appointment that I can't miss." Relena's smile sent a shiver up Serena's spine, and caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand up.  
  
"You mean a hanging." Heero grunted, still glaring at her.  
  
"A hanging?" Quatre asked, slightly surprised.  
  
"Why don't you three join me? That way Serena can find out what happens to criminals." Relena's pace was quicker then before as she led them down a few hallways before emerging outside. A crowd had gathered in a circle, where in the middle was something that looked like a stage, yet there was a hangman's noose. Serena scanned the crowd and was surprised to find many familiar faces, one of them being Makoto. She slipped away from Quatre and Heero and quickly made her way over to where Makoto was.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She whispered as she looked around casually, trying to blend in.  
  
"I was waiting for you like you said I should, when a bell rang, and well...I just followed the crowd." Makoto whispered back to her friend. "Oh yeah, I found these in a room." Moving her cloak out of the way, she handed Serena her curved swords.  
  
"Do you still have your bow and arrows?" Serena asked as she pulled Makoto farther away from the crowd.  
  
"Yeah, why?" Makoto asked as she pulled them out. Serena grabbed the bow and an arrow before knocking it and holding it ready.  
  
"I am going to save the poor soul who's supposed to hang." Serena grinned.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Review, review, review! ^_^ 


	4. Shadows

'.....' - Someone's thoughts  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Mina sighed loudly as she heard the bell begin to ring. Time was up. Lying on the small mattress, which rested on the floor, she stared up at the ceiling, wondering how she was going to escape death this time. Before she could think of a plan, a key rattled in the lock of the cell, before the door swung inwards. Sitting up, she watched as five soldiers came in, all of them ready for a fight.  
  
"Stand up." One of them grunted as he took a step towards her.  
  
"You could say please." Mina frowned and crossed her arms, ignoring the order.  
  
"Up! Now!" He growled while taking another step forward.  
  
"Not until you say please!" Mina glared up at him, daring him to come any closer.  
  
"Put her in her place." The guy smirked while watching the four others close in around the girl.  
  
"Thief!" One spat while aiming at kick at her head. Mina who saw this coming, simply moved her head back, out of the way.  
  
"Cur!" Another growled while aiming a kick at her stomach. Mina rolled her eyes before leaning out of the way.  
  
"That's it! Get her!" The first yelled, causing the four guys to jump on her all at once. Mina struggled to get free, but they had her. When they had her pinned down, the first, whom acted as the obvious leader of the five, walked up to where she laid on the ground, and spat in her face. "Why don't we have some fun with her, boys? Her head won't be attached to that pretty body of hers for much longer."  
  
Mina began to struggle even more, but they had her pinned. Her eyes widened in fear, before narrowing to slits as she glared up at them in anger. She was not going to go down without a fight!  
  
~*~  
  
"There must be some way we can save her!" Rei exclaimed as she watched the courtyard fill with people.  
  
"Don't you think that if there was a way we could save her, we would have done it by now?" Ami snapped. "Unlike you, I have known Mina my whole life, and the last thing I want is to see her die!"  
  
"Sorry." Rei mumbled as she looked down at her feet.  
  
"Where'd Duo go?" Ami asked, suddenly looking around. Rei began to look around too, and found him talking to Trowa and Wufei. Well, more like yelling at them.  
  
"Ugh, let's go get that idiot before he gets thrown in a cell." Rei growled as she and Ami made their way over to where he was.  
  
"No woman has ever hung before, and now that you've caught a common thief, you're just going to hang her?!" Duo yelled while glaring at the two of them.  
  
"Hmph, it's justice." Wufei snorted while glaring back at Duo.  
  
"There is no justice in that!!" Duo took a threatening step towards the two, one hand reaching for the hilt of his sword.  
  
"Duo calm down!" Rei grabbed his wrist and yanked it away from his sword.  
  
"There were just doing their job." Ami said while helping Rei keep Duo from jumping Trowa and Wufei.  
  
"There was no honor in what they did." Duo growled.  
  
~*~  
  
A girl walked through the crowd, her two guardians on either side of her. A black cloak covered her body, and the hood hid her face from view. Her two guardians wore similar cloaks, but in brown, and they also had their hoods up so as to keep their faces hidden.  
  
"It begins." The one on the girl's right spoke, causing the other two to nod.  
  
"We shall wait and see what happens before we move." The girl said quietly before her and the other two blended into the shadows.  
  
~*~  
  
"Sere-chan, I know that you're doing this for a good cause and all, but we'll get caught!" Makoto said while nervously looking around.  
  
"Come on Mako! Where's your sense of adventure?" Serena asked while lowering the bow and turning to face her friend.  
  
"I have a sense of adventure! Just not when I could be thrown in a cell because of it!" Before Makoto could protest any further, two doors opened up and five men, surrounding one girl, walked out into the courtyard.  
  
The girl's long blonde hair was full of tangles, and her clothes were replaced by a tan cloak that opened up every now and then when the wind picked up, causing her long slim legs to be seen. It wasn't that which caught the attention of the two girls, it was how she walked.  
  
Head down, arms hanging limply by her sides, she shuffled forward, not even paying attention to where she was going at all. Serena stood up on her toes and squinted her eyes so as to see the girl better. It only took a second for her to recognize who the person was.  
  
"That's my friend Mina!" Serena said in shock as she watched the girl be led up onto the platform.  
  
"A girl? Why are they hanging her? They've never hung a girl before!" Makoto said in obvious surprise.  
  
"Mina's only a common thief, and they never hang females..." Serena trailed off in thought, trying to figure out what was going on.  
  
"Serena? Serena!" Makoto waved a hand in front of her friend's face who jumped slightly. "Are you ok?"  
  
"Yeah, I was just thinking about how strange this all is. Relena must have some sort of personal grudge against Mina or something." Serena said thoughtfully.  
  
"Look! It's starting!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Heero have you seen Serena?" Quatre asked as he looked around. "Last thing I need is for her to get into even more trouble." Quatre looked to his left where Heero was, and was surprised to see him not there. Sighing, Quatre began to move through the crowd to find his sister.  
  
~*~  
  
"Heero I'm so glad you came back." Relena purred as she clung to Heero's arm. Heero was trying to get her off, but was finding it damn near impossible.  
  
"Hn." Heero looked around for some sort of escape route when suddenly Quatre came up to him.  
  
"Heero, have you seen Serena? I can't seem to find-" Before he could even finish his sentence, Heero shoved Relena off of his arm, and grabbed Quatre's arm and pulled him into the crowd to get away from the crazy princess.  
  
Heero dragged Quatre through the crowd, looking back over his shoulder every now and then to make sure that Relena wasn't following him. When he finally did stop, he let go of Quatre's arm and turned to face him.  
  
"Where was the last time you saw her?" Quatre looked at Heero a bit confused before remembering what he was talking about.  
  
"When we first came out here." Heero nodded before looking around.  
  
"You go the left, and I'll go to the right, she couldn't have gone far." The two headed off in search to find the blonde before she got into any trouble.  
  
~*~  
  
Mina's body ached all over, and all she wanted to do at the moment was curl up in a ball and cry herself to sleep. She stared at her feet while trying her best to keep an equal distance from the five guys surrounding her. Men were nothing but animals! Mina's blank stare turned to a glare, and she looked up to glare at the back of the men's heads.  
  
The three in front parted, and she slowly made her way up the stairs. 'Well this is it.' She thought bitterly. As she reached the top of the stairs, she stopped for a minute to look out at the crowd surrounding the platform. Two men in black stood on either side of the post that held the noose.  
  
The first one, which turned out to be a priest, stood in front of her and said a silent prayer. Then, with two fingers, he drew an imaginary cross in front of her face before stepping out of the way. Mina was shoved from behind, and she stumbled forward.  
  
The second guy, who was much larger then the first, seemed to be pure muscle. Mina slowly walked towards him, knowing that her fate was sealed. He lowered the noose and slipped it over her head, before tightening it around her neck. He then grabbed a piece of rope and tied her wrists together in front of her body.  
  
Her eyes scanned the crowd one last time, and right before she was about to close them, she spotted Ami, Rei and Duo who were standing next to Wufei and Trowa. A noise coming from her right caused her to turn her head to see a small table being brought up onto the platform.  
  
'I can't believe I forgot. They cut off the head of a person after they die.' Shuddering at that thought, she squeezed her eyes closed and prayed that she would somehow escape from this.  
  
There was a small creak before the bottom of the platform where Mina was standing swung downwards, causing the noose to tighten around her neck as she hung from it. A loud snap was heard, and the crowd gasped. Her neck had snapped. Azure eyes began to glaze quickly and then everything became black.  
  
~*~  
  
"Sere-chan, don't!" Makoto begged while watching her friend take aim.  
  
"There's no turning back now." Serena replied while letting the arrow go.  
  
The rope was cut, and before Mina's body could hit the ground, a blonde haired man had caught her. This of course shocked the crowd and pissed off the princess.  
  
~*~  
  
"What's going on?!" Relena shrieked at seeing the rope being cut. "GUARDS!!"  
  
~*~  
  
*Minutes earlier*  
  
At hearing the snap of the blonde girl's neck being broken, the young girl and her two guards stepped out from the shadows.  
  
"Now!" The girl commanded in a quiet voice. Closing her eyes, she began to make different gestures with her hands while chanting in a low voice.  
  
"I'm on it!" The one on her right said while tossing back the hood of her cloak to reveal short, sandy colored hair.  
  
"Hurry." The one on the left said, pushing back the hood of her cloak to reveal shoulder length teal colored hair.  
  
~*~  
  
"Dear Kami." Ami breathed while looking away so she wouldn't have to see her friend hang. Mina's neck snapping caused Rei to pale tremendously. Tears sprung up in Rei's eyes, and she turned and buried her head in Duo's shoulder.  
  
An arrow whizzed through the air and sliced the rope before embedding itself into the wooden plank. The crowd gasped in surprise and began to look around to find the person who had done that.  
  
"Who's that?" Duo asked as a blonde haired man appeared below the platform and caught Mina.  
  
"GUARDS!!" Relena screamed causing the soldiers, including Wufei and Trowa to jump into action. The two pushed through the crowd to get to Mina and the man, only to find that by the time they got there, the man was gone.  
  
"Spread out!" Wufei ordered to the soldiers before he and Trowa went off to find the man.  
  
"Ami! Someone's using magic!" Artemis whispered in her ear, causing her to begin to look around for the magic user.  
  
"Over there!" Ami pointed to a corner of the courtyard that was hidden by shadows.  
  
"Rei, Duo! Follow me!" Ami yelled as she began to shove her way through the crowd.  
  
~*~  
  
"Hurry." The small girl was breathing heavily with the strain of the spell. "I can't keep her alive for much longer."  
  
The blonde placed the girl down and with her hands, moved her neck back in place. Stepping back out of the way, she looked at the small girl before turning to keep guard. The small girl kneeled down next to Mina and placed her hands over her neck. Minutes passed in silence, except for the soft chanting of the girl.  
  
"Done." The small girl stood up and before she could even take a step back, the teal haired woman was by her side, steadying her.  
  
"Help her up." The teal haired one said to the blonde over her shoulder. The blonde woman glanced at the crowd of people once more before turning and going over to where the blonde girl still rested on the ground. Her breathing was that of a person fast asleep. Bending down, she picked up the girl, one arm around her shoulders and supporting her head, and the other under her knees. Standing up, she turned to face the girl and teal haired woman.  
  
"We should be going before someone finds us." The blonde said while glancing over her shoulder.  
  
"Someone's coming." The teal haired woman tensed up as she spoke the words, and quickly drew herself and the small girl into the shadows. The blonde woman turned to face the approaching people.  
  
~*~  
  
"Heero!" Quatre called over the crowd towards the brown haired man. Heero, hearing his name being called, scanned the crowd until he spotted Quatre waving his arm.  
  
"What?" Heero called back as he began to shove his way towards the boy.  
  
"Serena! Over there!" Quatre pointed to his left, and Heero turned to see that he was pointing to a corner of the courtyard that was covered by shadows. Nodding towards Quatre, they both took off in that direction.  
  
~*~  
  
Wufei scanned the crowd for the blonde woman who had, a few minutes ago, been hanging. Raven hair caught his attention, and he turned to find Rei shoving her way through the crowd, following someone. The braided baka was not far behind as he followed her through the crowd.  
  
"Trowa!" Wufei turned and called his friend who was off to his left.  
  
"Hm?" Trowa walked up to Wufei, who pointed to where Rei was.  
  
"Let's go." One hand on his hilt, Wufei and Trowa began to shove their way through the crowd after Rei.  
  
~*~  
  
"Mina!" Serena called as she and Makoto emerged from the crowd. The two ran towards the blonde man they had seen rescue Mina earlier. He was standing there, facing them, Mina in his arms.  
  
"Who are you?" Makoto asked as she looked at the man.  
  
"That's what we'd like to know." A girl with long raven hair said as she, another girl, and a boy jogged up to where they were standing.  
  
"Serena! There you are!" Both Serena and Makoto turned to see Quatre and Heero walking towards them.  
  
"Give me the onna." A voice growled, causing everyone to turn and see Wufei glaring up at the man who was just looking back down at him. Trowa was standing next to him, not saying a word, yet his hand drifted towards the hilt of his sword.  
  
"Shut up Wufei!" Rei snapped.  
  
"Onna stay out of this." Wufei said without even turning to look at her.  
  
"Thank you for saving my friend." Ami said as she walked up to the blonde haired man.  
  
"It wasn't me who saved her." He said loud enough for them all to hear.  
  
"Then who did?" Serena asked.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Review! ^^ 


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